Awakening
by Alice Bekett
Summary: The promised interlude between my main Dragon Age stories.Early on in Awakening,Velanna and Nathaniel are in a surprise when they learn about their Commander's mistakes and 'condition'. Please R&R!


Hi! It's me again, this is the story that takes place in DA:O Awakening. This is relatively early on in the game, the only companions that are available are: Anders, Nathaniel, Velanna, and Ohgren.

This takes place in the silverite mines in the Wending Wood, when the Architect takes them for a few days, and Jace is left without his special tea. I do not own Dragon Age, and I am not making any money off of this.

..._..._..._...

I awoke slowly to a throbbing in my stomach, lungs and head. I could faintly hear Nathaniel praying, and Velanna pacing. I opened my blurry eyes, and tried to blink the fuzziness in my head away. _Great, first time away from the Keep and Amaranthine, and we've been captured by talking darkspawn. _

Without thinking, I sat up, and immediately regretted it. The blood that had settled in my lungs shifted, and I started coughing blood all over the stone floor.

"Commander, what's wrong?" Nathaniel asked, stopping his prayer and rushing over and kneeling in front of me.

My stomach started to rebel, and I growled in pain, "Nathaniel, unless you want to be vomited on, I suggest you move."

Nathaniel scrambled out of the way as I vomited the contents of my stomach onto the floor before vomiting blood. I crawled away from the mess I had left on the ground and leaned against the cold bars of the cell.

I shivered, I could sense darkspawn nearby, but didn't find any large masses of them. I felt something heavy being draped over my shoulders, and looked up to see Velanna, "Thank you," I rasped, teeth chattering.

"His lips shouldn't be blue, should they?" Nathaniel asked.

"No, something is wrong. I sense it in his magic," Velanna replied harshly.

I wrapped the blanket tighter around my shoulders, shivering, "I'll be fine once we get back to the Keep," I stuttered.

Ohgren looked at me, but said nothing, I nestled my head in the crook of my elbow. I concentrated on my breathing, trying to keep it even and steady. The sharp ache receded a little, but not much. I tried to focus on the darkspawn, sometimes doing that could help me concentrate, but no luck.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Velanna asked, "We still have to look for Seranni!"

"We'll figure it out as we go along, we always do," I shivered, and wrapped my arms around my knees. I rested my head on my kneecaps and tried to go back to sleep.

"It's not that cold in here, there has to be something we can do," Velanna growled, I felt her kneel beside me, and she lifted my head up.

I looked at her more closely, "you would make a good Warden, you know."

She blinked in surprise, but rested the palm of her hand on my forehead, "you are freezing. I have never seen this before."

"Nor will you," I told her, "I swallowed archdemon blood, and inhaled it. The corruption is slowly eating away at my lungs and stomach. I'm living on borrowed time,"

"Why are you like this now?" Nathaniel asked.

"The tea I'm always drinking, before this got bad, Wynne and I made a recipe for it. It helps numb the pain and helps my body's defences," I grimaced in distaste, "My body is more dependant on it than my mind is, I can deal with a lot of pain. But, if I don't get some soon, I'll be in too much pain to be of much use."

"You can't fight now, either," Velanna said sharply, "There has to be something else we can do."

"Getting me out of a cold, damp dungeon would help-" I started coughing. I turned away from Velanna, and coughed a mouthful of blood onto the ground, "I'm chilled almost all the time, anyway, but the damp isn't helping either."

A door opened, and we all turned to see a young elf with pale hair, dressed in armour. Velanna ran to the front of the cell, "Seranni! You're safe, we can go, help us get out of here!"

I saw Seranni, and knew we couldn't help her. Already, her eyes were clouding over, skin too pale, with several dark spots of corruption evident. I didn't say anything, but looking at Ohgren and Nathaniel, they knew it too.

"I can't stay. The darkspawn are coming to check on you. The Architect is planning something terrible for you," She looked at me, "Besides, you must get your commander out of here, anyway. Here's a key to the Architect's chest in his room. There might be things in there that can answer your questions," She pressed two key into Velanna's hand. Seranni looked over her shoulder wildly, "I've go to go, the other key will open the cell door." She turned and fled.

"Seranni, wait!" Velanna yelled, reaching to grab her sister.

"I guess we have our way out," I observed dryly.

"We have to find her! She doesn't know what she's doing!"

"Clearly she does," Ohgren grunted, "An' she's got the taint, nothing we can do now."

"How do you know?" Velanna asked frantically, "How do you know she has the taint?"

"I could see the corruption patches on her, her eyes were starting to go milky, and her skin was too pale," I struggled to my feet, back and knees creaking.

"How old are you?" Velanna asked.

"Just turned twenty," I leaned against the bars of the cell. Velanna looked stunned, but couldn't say anything before Ohgren took the key from her and opened the cell door. Six darkspawn entered the room, just as the door opened, and I watched as Ohgren, Nathaniel and Velanna took care of them. The took what equipment they could before turning to look at me.

"I can walk, maybe cast a few spells," I sudden chill made my teeth click together and my arms twitch involuntary.

"I'll stand back near you, I'm not good for close combat, anyhow," Velanna crossed her arms over her chest, "Lets go, you should not be that colour,"

We slowly made our way through the hallways, when we came across a door that didn't go to anywhere else, I used the second key Seranni gave us. The door opened and I knelt in front of the chest, "Get anything you can, I want to read all this later."

Everyone nodded, and ran off to different corners of the room, I opened the chest, and pulled out some documents. I pocketed them, and grabbed the other things I could carry. I scanned the counter; potions, parchment, vellum, books, and what seemed to be a journal. I grabbed the journal, stuffed as many of the loose papers into it as I could. I grabbed an empty pack, and stuffed all of the books, potions, and papers into it as possible. I dropped the journal into it.

After we grabbed as much of the materials that we could, we continued down the hallway. As we continued, we found everyone's things, except all of the things we had carried with us. We found our way to where we could find an exit. I glared at the large staircase in front of me, now that I had been moving around, the cold had turned into something bearable, but I still felt exhausted.

I managed to get to the top of the stairs, but sat heavily on the top one, panting for breath. I looked around, and saw a chest. I turned the other direction, and saw a Qunari.

"I am a merchant, the darkspawn will pay me if I give them supplies," he said when I asked him what he was doing.

"Aren't you worried about the taint?"

"No, the Architect has made sure that will not happen."

"Will you trade with us?"

"Of course."

We traded, bartered and sold all we could, I looked at the chest. The Qunari noticed my glance, "Your things are there," he said flatly.

We retrieved all we could, and I looked at the Qunari, "Would you be willing to set up trade at Vigil's Keep? The money will be good."

The Qunari nodded, "I know of the Keep. I will go there,"

I went through the double doors last, a dwarf, Seranni and the Architect stood on a ledge. They left, and the Architect closed the entrance into the Deep Roads. Just after, two dragons swooped down, and breathed fire at us. One of the spirits won for control, and opened my eyes. I saw everything through a blue haze, and couldn't do anything at all to stop the spirits from lashing out.

_Jowan, pushing me over to save me from a crossbow bolt to the neck. Loghain's garish smirk as I confronted him about it._

Stop it! I cursed, struggling for control.

_Alistair, ignoring me, in fact, glaring at me. I knew what he was thinking, _he_ should have been the one to slay the archdemon, not the puny, elven mage. _

The spirit raised my hands, and streams of blue fire issued from my fingertips. I struggled to gain control, but a flare of pain in my lungs distracted me, but strengthened the spirit. I watched as the spirit nearly killed one dragon on it's own before drinking two lyrium potions in quick succession. After killing the first dragon almost on our own, we turned, and tried to find another lyrium potion. Just as we did, the spirit's control fled, and I was placed in full control of myself.

I keeled over, vomiting and coughing blood. All of the memories that angered me, made me doubt myself, and all of my mistakes were replaying in my head. Jowan using blood magic, Duncan's death, trading Connor for my blood magic, using blood magic, yelling at Alistair, Alistair yelling back, Eamon yelling at me to never come near Redcliffe again after slaying the archdemon, sleeping with Morrigan to save myself, and so many other things.

I was on all fours, barely able to keep myself from falling in my own vomit. I panted for breath, and trying to deal with the shock of being put back into my aching, weak body.

"Maker's breath," I heard Nathaniel mutter, "What the hell was that?"

"He's an abomination. He must be dealt with," Velanna cried out.

"No, he's not!" Ohgren growled, "He's possessed by the good spirits!"

My ironic laugh turned into a very painful coughing fit, "Doesn't matter Ohgren. I may be linked to many good spirits of the Fade, but that means I'm more dangerous; more things can set me off than a normal abomination."

"You haven't hurt anyone!" Ohgren protested.

"Yet," Velanna interjected.

I shook my head, and carefully rose to my feet, "If you want to kill me, I can't stop you," Velanna looked slightly shocked, but didn't do anything, "Well?" I asked.

Velanna swallowed, "You are the only hope I have of finding my sister. I won't kill you, but if you're overtaken, know I will."

Strangely, a wave of relief rolled over me, and I relaxed a little. _At least if something happens, someone will actually kill me._

We made our way back to the surface, and out of the Wending Wood. We made camp for the night, something I was grateful for. The next morning, we set out again, I was barely in a state to walk, and the only thing that kept me going was the thought of being mostly pain free if we reached the Keep.

I could tell that Nathaniel and Ohgren were worried, Velanna seemed indifferent so I couldn't tell. Each breath was like breathing in a stream of fire, and my stomach felt as if it were engulfed in flames. I could barely walk, and knew I would be next to useless in a fight.

Around midday, we came across a wooden bridge. Nathaniel suddenly shoved me onto the ground, and called out a warning to Velanna, who was a little farther back, "mercenaries!"

I cursed, coughing. I leaned against a large, nearby rock and watched the fight. After all but one of the mercenaries were killed, I relaxed and stood. A pair of very strong arms encircled my waist and squeezed. Liquid fire seemed to burn in my torso, not just focused on my lungs and stomach. I panicked, but couldn't make a sound. I flailed as much as I could, and felt a spike in his armour scratch my arm. I didn't think, I flailed again, and felt the spike impale my arm. I yanked it free, and cast a mind controlling spell with the blood magic.

I had the mercenary set me down, and jump off the cliff. Afterwords, I swayed dangerously on my feet, I felt lightheaded and I felt bile and blood rise in my throat. I leaned forward, and felt the stream of it exit my mouth. I sank to the ground, barely conscious. I couldn't move, could barely think.

The last thing I saw was Nathaniel leaning over me, asking me if I was alright.

_..._..._..._

"Oh dear, what happened?"

"We got captured, Jace hasn't had that tea of his in two days," -

_That's Wynne, and Nathaniel, right? _

_..._..._..._

"Sit him up for me, I doubt he's fully conscious," Strong arms sat me up, and a cool cup was pressed to my lips. I opened them, and drank cool sips of whatever was in the cup, "I think he's semi-conscious."

"Jace, are you awake?"

I groaned, and struggled to open my eyes. My vision was blurry, and I could barely focus, "Wynne?" My voice was weak.

I felt pillows being slipped under my back to help me sit, and the arms that had held me up let go, "Are you in any pain?" Wynne asked.

I blinked, trying to clear my vision, "No, just weak."

"That's good, your voice is coming back. How is your vision?"

"Blurry, I can't focus."

"Hmm, I think you need glasses. Why haven't you said anything about your vision?"

"It always clears up, didn't think anything of it."

Wynne sighed, "Here, eat this. This will keep the pain gone," She handed me several leaves that I didn't recognize. I ate them, the bitter taste making me grimace.

I cast my blurry gaze around the room. We were in the Keep, in my room. Nathaniel stood in the corner, arms crossed over his chest, "How is everyone?"

"Everyone is fine, Velanna is very impatient, but calming down."

"Thank you, Nathaniel. I have expected not to wake up at all."

"Why, you are the Warden-Commander, Arl of Amaranthine, and Hero of Fereldan."

"I'm a blood mage abomination living on borrowed time," I corrected flatly.

Nathaniel cast a worried glance in Wynne's direction, "I am connected to a Fade spirit as well," Wynne said, "Although I do not like the Warden-Commander's use of blood magic, I know he only uses it when he must. He is a good man who made a mistake."

Nathaniel nodded, "Should we give Velanna her Joining?"

"Yes, Wynne, bring me that box over there and the vile next to it." Wynne brought the requested items over. I shakily took the vile of archdemon blood from box, put a small amount of it in the empty vile. I grabbed the small dagger in the box, and carefully cut my palm open. I directed the blood into the vile using blood magic.

"Give me a lyrium potion, please, Wynne," Wynne handed the potion over, and I poured it into the vile. I gently swirled the mixture around the vile. I stoppered the vile, and handed it to Nathaniel, "Don't forget the darkspawn."

Nathaniel nodded, and left. I looked at Wynne, "Thank you, Wynne. Why aren't you at the conference?"

"It was delayed, several of the council members couldn't come. It's next week."

"You should go, I'll be fine here. There's another Warden here, he's a healer," I said, "I appreciate it, but the Circle needs to be taken care of."

Wynne nodded, "I will leave tonight then, Commander. I will send you a letter after the meeting. It would do you good to come to one of these soon."

"I'll come to the next one, I promise. The Arl is just very tumultuous, that's all."

"I understand. Good luck, Warden." Wynne patted my arm, and left. I shifted so I was lying down again, and drifted into sleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know, I know, this isn't exactly epic, but I decided it would be neat to write this. This is a oneshot, and the next Dragon Age story I post will be the next in the series, I promise. It will be and Origins and Dragon Age II crossover. Jace meet Hawke!


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